Growing Student Activism

Students at Fresno City College are intensifying efforts to alter the State Center of California Community College (SCCCD) protocol concerning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A petition advocating for a halt to staff compliance with the current protocol has already garnered over 50 student signatures.

Current Protocol and Reporting Procedures

The focus of student concern centers on the established procedure for handling potential ICE presence on campus. According to the SCCCD protocol, if ICE is spotted, the process is to Notify the President’s Office at (559) 489-2212, then call the SCCCD Police Department at (559) 244-5911.

Students and faculty are instructed not to disclose any information about students or staff if approached by individuals requesting it. Should those individuals identify themselves as ICE, the protocol directs them to the president’s office and the SCCCD Police Department, emphasizing politeness and professionalism.

Training and Resources

The ICE protocol has been communicated to students, faculty, and staff through multiple training sessions. Information is also readily available on the Fresno City College website under immigration resources.

Rigoberto Garcia Santa Rosa, an ethnic studies instructor and advisor to MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantes Chicanx de Aztlán), explained that, based on information from a district legal representative during an ICE training, the college president is meant to act as mediator between ICE and whatever activity is happening on campus.

Student Demands for Change

Brianna Gonzalez and Fern Shirley are leading the charge, organizing the ICE Out of FCC petition to gather support for altering the Fresno City College police force’s approach to ICE interactions.

Gonzalez stated the petition aims to change the protocol to ensure students and employees feel safe refusing to cooperate with ICE, even in the presence of a detainer. The goal is to present the petition to the president’s office and the Board of Trustees to negotiate a change.

Both Gonzalez and Shirley believe faculty should not comply with ICE, advocating for locking classroom doors and refusing to comply with ICE, as stated in the petition.

Gonzalez expressed a feeling of vulnerability, stating, We felt like uncomplicated prey, so we desire to make an effort for change.

Concerns About Clarity and Protection

Santa Rosa noted that teachers were unsure of their course of action if they hadn’t spoken with the president, other than directing ICE to the president’s office. He also explained that classrooms are considered non-public spaces, allowing teachers to block access without an arrest warrant.

Shirley voiced concerns about the lack of clarity regarding these non-public spaces, stating, You could be anywhere on campus, because most people have classes that are general education or special classes. And they won’t be protected by those signs, is what I understood.

MEChA’s Role and Student Survey Results

Beyond the petition, MEChA is actively involved, conducting surveys to gauge student perspectives on the ICE protocol. According to Arion Grajeda, a MEChA member, We believe that any changes that can be made by students must be agreed upon among students, we as a club, we do not have a complete answer of what that would look like, but we realize that the police have to be more proactive in protecting the students and have no tolerance for this violence from ICE.

A survey of 122 students revealed that 71.3% felt safe on campus, while 28.7% did not. However, only 28.7% felt protected by the school police department in the event of an altercation with ICE. MEChA plans to host self-training meetings to educate students about ICE and other agencies, fostering community and providing a platform for voicing concerns.

Upcoming Meetings

The first self-training meeting will be held on February 26th in room LI-107 on campus, and another off-campus at St. Dulce, 1445 N. Van Ness Ave., also on February 26th, both from 2-5 pm.

Call for Stronger Protocols

Several students and employees believe the school needs stronger protocols, considering the diversity of the student body. Santa Rosa stated, I consider the school should have a stronger stance because we have a lot of people from different backgrounds and vulnerable states, and I think it doesn’t make sense for the school, the campus, to make itself available for that type of effort, especially an effort in a tracking plan when it doesn’t need it.

Shirley emphasized the need for clarity for both students and faculty, noting, A lot of the teachers are confused too, because they don’t want to comply with ICE but they are afraid of losing their jobs, their finances, everything they can lose.